Natural History Wanderings

EarthSky reports

A new study has found that when pollen is in short supply, bumblebees damage plant leaves in a way that accelerates flower production.

Bumblebees need pollen from flowers to survive. But in our warming climate, bees are increasingly emerging from hibernation earlier in the year. What happens if they wake up before there are enough flowers in bloom?

Now, a team of Swiss researchers have discovered the bees have a way to order some fast food: They use their mouth parts to pinch into the leaves of plants that haven’t flowered yet, and that the resulting damage stimulates the production of new flowers that bloom weeks ahead of time.

See video and read more at Bees stab plants to make them flower | Earth | EarthSky